Traveling payoff device



Oct. 21, 1958 v'. AQRAYBURN TRAVELING PAYOFF DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1954 INVENTOR u. A. RA BURN ATTORNEY Oct. 21, 1958 v. A. RAYBURN TRAVELING PAYOFF DEVICE 2 Sheets- Shet 2 Filed April 5, 1954 //v v/v TOR 1 A. RA YBUR/V A rrok/vey United States Patent TRAVELING PAYOFF DEVICE Vincent A. Rayburn, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April5, 1954, Serial No. 421,010

4 Claims. (Cl. 242128) This invention relates to payoff devices, and more par- 15 ticularly to improved payoff devices designed to travel on a conveyor system. The invention is also concerned with improved braking apparatus for use with such payoff devices.

In some manufacturing operations, a filamentary ma- 20 terial, such as steel wire, must be transported in the form of coils from a supply area to a processing area, and there be payed out from a supply stand to a processing machine. For machines which operate continuously it is necessary to connect successive coils to supply the'wire without-interruption. To satisfy theserequirernents, the

supply and the transportation of the wire must be scheduled carefully. Furthermore, the occurrence of tangles and breaks in the wire must be avoided to prevent inter- .ference with such scheduling, as well as to reduce waste.

improved braking apparatus for use with such payo device's. 1

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may-include an upright arbor designed to extend axiallylinto and thereby receive a coiled filamentto be payed off, a horizontal fiyer arm mounted rotatably beneath the arbor for guidinga filament being payed oil from the bottom of the coil, and means for suspending the arbor pendant-fashion from the'top thereof. b means may be included, comprising a braking wheel mounted rotatably on the fiyer arm and having its peripherylbearing against a horizontal plate so as to roll in a circular path around the plate during rotation of the ilyer 'arm'and thereby restrain the speed of rotation of the flyer arm. I

A complete understanding ofthe invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of apparatus forming a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which: Fig. l is a plan view of a conveyor system having mounted thereon several associated payoff devices embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view taken along line 22 of Fig. 1,with an intermediate portion broken away to con- 60 serve space; 7

. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of a payoff device embodying the invention, with portions thereof shown in section to reveal the internal structure;

' Fig. 4' is an enlarged, fragmentary view looking in the 65 direction'of'the arrows 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 55 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. '1, a plurality of payoff devices 10, 11, 12,13 and 14 embodying the invention are shown suspended at different positions along an overhead monorail conveyor track 20. A similar payoff device 15 is de- Braking 45 I identical in construction.

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signed for suspension along the conveyer track 20, but has been shown detached therefrom at a loading station, designated generally by the numeral 40. These payoff devices are essentially nonrotating swifts, which function as traveling wire supply stands, having novel features which give improved operating characteristics. The conveyor system of monorail track and switches on which the devices travel is of conventional construction.

As may be observed from a study of the traveling wire payoff device 12 in Fig. 2, a steel wire 22 is being payed off from a plurality of coils 4843 of a continuous 1 length of such wire supported on the device 12. For

the duration of this operation, the device 12 remains suspended at a selected location on the conveyor track 2%), as shown in Fig. 1, and the wire 22 passes through a bellmouthed guide 26 (Fig. 2), which is fixed directly below the device 12 at this location. Thence the wire 22 passes around a sheave 28 and advances to a capstan 36 powered by a motor 32 (Fig. 1). In a similar fashion, a wire 34 is payed oft from the device 11, and a wire 36 is payed off from the device 10. The steel wires'22, 34 and 36 are advanced by the capstan 36) to a processing machine (not shown), such as a series of electroplating cells in which a selected metal, for example copper, may be electrodeposited continuously onto the moving wires to produce copper-clad steel electrical conductors.

The devices it), 11 and 12, from which wires are being payed off, are located on parallel branches of the monorail conveyor track Zil. It should 'be observed that these three devices are staggered laterally with respect to the capstan 3b, as shown in Fig. l, in order to position the wires 22, 34 and 36 being payed off from these devices so that they travel in close side-by-side, parallel i'elationship as they advance towards the capstan 30. In or- 3 der to simplify the drawing only three of the devices are shown paying off wire, but'to supply some processing machines, such as the series of copper electroplating cells referred to previously, as many as twenty-five or more such devices might be employed to pay off wire simultaneously. Thewire payoff devices 13 and 14 carry additional supplies of wire connected to the wires carried by the 'devices 11 and 12, respectively, and'located in stand-by positions adjacent thereto. The moment the supply of wire being payed off from either one of the devices 11 and 12 becomes exhausted, an automatic change-over is made to the corresponding one of the devices 13 and 14, which is then advanced from its stand-by position to the operating position formerly occupied by the empty device.

One at a time as the devices it and 12 become empty, they may be advanced along the conveyor track 26 to a loading station it? where they may be reloaded with a 'fresh supply of wire. In Figs. '1 and'S, the wire payoif device 15 is shown positioned at the loading station 40, already loaded and ready to be advanced alon'g the conveyor track 2 5 to a stand-by position adjacent to the device ltl. The bottom or leading end of its supply of wire may then be connected to the top or'trailin'g' end of the wire being payed off from the device 10. lnthis' manner a continuous supply of wire is provided without interruption from each of the parallel'br'anc'hes of the conveyor track It is contemplated that the loading station 40 would be located in a wire storage area remote from thepay- 01f area, to keep the loading operations from interfering tions. Otherwise the loading operators might foul or snare wires paying off and cause accidental breaks or interruptions. Y L

The wire payoff devices 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are Details of their construction may be understood readily by'refe rence to the device 15 3 shown in Fig. 3. In this device, a vertical shaft 42 extends through and is welded to the center of a horizontal disc 44. Extending from points spaced circumferentially near the periphery of the disc 44 are a plurality of staves 46-46, which curve upwardly and converge inwardly to the upper end of the centrally located vertical shaft 42, to which they are all secured by welding. As a group the curved staves 46-46 resemble a generally bell-shaped cage, which together with the disc 44 function as an arbor for supporting a plurality of coils 48-48 of wire thereon.

A lower extension 50 of the vertical shaft 42 projects below the disc 44 and is welded to the center of a horizontal plate 52. The extension 58 is slightly larger in diameter than is the vertical shaft 42, thereby forming a shoulder 54, which bears against the disc 44 and helps to position the disc and to support some of the weight of the disc and the superstructure bearing thereon. A cen ter bar 56 is secured to the bottom of the plate 52.

At the loading station 40, the plate 52 rests on top of a plurailty of rolls 58-58 (Fig. 3), which are mounted in two parallel, straight rows, and are journaled between a pair of inner channels 60-60 and a pair of outer channels 62-62. The inner channels 60-68 cooperate with the center bar 56, as shown in Fig. 5, to function as guides which prevent the plate 52 from moving laterally off the rolls 58-58 or rotating on them. In this manner the payoff device 15 is guided lengthwise along the loading station 40. The inner channels 60-61) are spaced apart a distance sufficient to accommodate the center bar 56 during this movement of the payoff device 15.

Each wire payoff device is detached temporarily from the overhead monorail conveyor track 20 while the device is resting on the loading station 40. At all other times, each device is suspended from the track 20 by a plurality of trolleywheels, such as the trolley wheels 6464 (Fig. 3) on the device 15. The trolley wheels 6464 are mounted rotatably and pivotally on a pair of yokes 66-66, which together function as a trolley in engagement with the monorail track 20. Details of the manner in which the trolley wheels of the devices engage the track 20 are best shown in the case of the device 12 in Fig. 2.

A load bar 68 (Fig. 3) suspended from the yokes 66-66 is provided with a spherical socket 69, which is connected to a ball 70 secured to the upper end of the vertical shaft 42. The socket 69 and the ball 70 cooperate to form a ball and socket type universal joint. As a result of this arrangement, when the payofi device 15 is suspended from the conveyor track 20, the lower body of the device is supported pendant-fashion and is capable of swinging in any radial direction. The extent of this radial movement is limited by an annular lip 72, which projects from the rim of the socket 69 on the load bar 68, and which is disposed circumferentially around the upper end of the shaft 42. The lip 72 permits the shaft 42 to swivel through a total are of about 30.

It should be observed that the load bar 68, together with its trolley wheels 6464, are considerably smaller in plan area than the arbor formed by the disc 44 and the staves 46-46. This arrangement permits the payoff device 15to be loaded with a fresh supply of wire by lowering the coils 48-48 of wire over the load bar 68 by means of a grapple 74, of which only the lower portions of three arms 76-76 thereof are indicated in Fig. 3. The load bar 68 and its trolley wheels 64-64 are sufiiciently small to pass axially through the coils 48-48 of wire when the grapple 74 is lowering these coils down onto the staves 46-46.

For a portion of the length of the loading station 40 there is a gap in the track 20, so that no overhead track is present at this point to interfere with the loading operation. After the payofi device 15 has been loaded,

an operator pushes this device across the rolls 58-58 towards the end of the leading station 40, where the device will again engage the conveyor track by means of the trolley wheels 6464.

A feature of the present invention is the fact that in paying off wire from coils thereof, such as the coils 48-48, the wire is taken from the bottom rather than the top of the coils. A leading end 80 of the wire being payed off from the coils 48-48 thereof is led from the bottom of these coils through a forked outer end 82 (Figs. 3 and 4), which functions as a wire guide on a flyer arm 84 mounted rotatably on the lower extension 50 of the vertical shaft 42. The flyer arm 84 extends radially outward from the extension 50, and on its inner end is provided with a bearing liner box 86 which substantially completely surrounds the extension 50 and is freely rotatable thereon. At an intermediate point along the length of the flyer arm 84, a roller 88 mounted rotatably thereon, bears against the upper surface of the plate 52. During the rotation of the flyer arm 84, the roller 88 traverses a circular path on the top of the plate 52. In bearing against the plate 52, the roller 88 creates frictional resistance which restrains the flyer arm 84 from rotating too fast. To satisfy this purpose, the roller 88 may be made of rubber or be rubber tired, and snubbed with an internal friction brake (not shown).

The forked outer end 82 of the flyer arm 84 extends radially outward beyond the periphery of the disc 44, and near its outer end is bent so that the forked end 82 extends angularly upward slightly above the disc 44. This arrangement insures that the forked end 82 of the flyer arm 84 engages and guides the wire, such as the leading end thereof, in such manner that the wire always clears the disc 44. This condition should continue even though the coils 48-48 of wire may sink down further on the staves 46-46 and thereby bring the leading end 80 of the wire closer to the disc 44, in order to allow the wire to pay off from the bottom of the coils 48-48 without interference. The outer edge of the disc 44 is provided with a curved and polished lip 90 which prevents the wire from striking any sharp edges as it is payed oft.

The action of gravity naturally causes the convolutions of wire in the coils 48-48 thereof to settle downwardly on the staves 46-46 as the wire is payed ofi. fi'om underneath. The downward movement of the convolutions of wire is further facilitated by the existence of the universal joint formed by the ball 70 and the socket 69, since this permits the lower body of the unit to oscillate freely in any radial direction. By paying off the wire from the bottom of the coils, that being the direction in which the convolutions of wire therein naturally tend to gravitate, the occurrence of tangles and consequent breaks in the wire is greatly minimized.

Apparatus embodying the invention is particularly useful in working with coils of wire in which the convolutions are not all perfectly concentric. The hankwound bundles of wire produced on the draw blocks of commercial wire drawing machines usually are not concentric. Depending upon the gage of the wire in the bundle, each bundle may contain from about 5 up to about 25 hanks of wire. The length of wire which connects one hank to another in the bundle may extend from the inside to the outside of the bundle. This condition is known in the trade as false cross-over. It is an inevitable result of the manner in which the wire is coiled as it emerges from the wire drawing machines. Each time a false cross-over is encountered in taking wire from the supply stand, there is a possibility that the adjacent convolution of wire may become fouled and snubbed, and thereby snap taut with such suddenness that the Wire may break. Such difiiculties are substantially eliminated by the use of traveling payoff devices embodying the invention. As added features, the scheduling and the transportation of the wire are accomplished With ease.

It is evident that payoff devices embodying the invention are not limited to use in paying ofi? steel wire, but filaments, strands or threads composed of other materials can be handled equally well. Furthermore, the use of a monorail conveyor in association with the invention is not essential, and other types of conveyors could be used. For example, instead of having overhead track, an extensive layout of floor rolls similar to the rolls 58-48 could be used to transport the wire supply units, and a hoist could be used to elevate the units into engagement with an overhead bracket fixed at the payoff location. In fact, no special conveyor is necessary.

It is contemplated that payoff devices embodying the invention should be portable and have means for suspending them pendant-fashion while the coiled filamentary material thereon is being payed off from the bottom of the convolutions thereof. Hence, many structural details may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A payofl device, which comprises an upright arbor designed to extend axially into and thereby receive a coil of wire to be payed off, a horizontal flyer arm having one end mounted rotatably beneath the arbor, a wire guide secured to the other end of the arm for guiding a wire being payed off from the bottom of the coil, a horizontal plate secured in spaced relation to the bottom of the arbor, a braking wheel mounted rotatably on the arm and having its periphery bearing against the plate so as to roll in a circular path around the plate during rotation of the arm and thereby restrain the speed of rotation of the arm, and means for suspending the arbor pendant-fashion from the top thereof.

2. A traveling payoff device movable along an overhead conveyor track, which comprises an upright arbor designed to extend axially into and thereby receive a coil of wire to be payed ofi, a horizontal flyer arm extending radially outward from the bottom of the arbor, said arm having its inner end journaled on the axial center of the bottom of the arbor, a wire guide secured to the outer end of the arm for guiding a wire being payed off from the bottom of the coil, a horizontal plate secured in spaced relation to the bottom of the arbor, a

braking wheel mounted rotatably on the arm and having its periphery bearing against the plate so as to roll in a circular path around the plate during rotation of the arm and thereby restrain the speed of rotation of the arm, a trolley movable along said overhead conveyor track, a load bar suspended from said trolley, said load bar having a socket formed therein, and a ball secured to the top of the arbor and engaging the socket to form a universal joint connecting the load bar and the arbor,

. thereby suspending the arbor pendant-fashion and allowing the arbor to swivel freely while paying off the Wire.

3, A traveling payoff device movable along an overhead conveyor track, which comprises an upright arbor designed to extend axially into and thereby receive a coil of wire to be payed off, a vertical shaft extending axially through said arbor, a horizontal flyer arm extending radially outward from the bottom of the arbor and having its inner end mounted rotatably on said vertical shaft, a wire guide secured to the outer end of the arm for guiding a wire being payed off from the bottom of the coil, a horizontal plate secured to said vertical shaft and in spaced relation to the bottom of the arbor, a braking Wheel mounted rotatably on the arm and having its periphery bearing against the plate so as to roll in a circular path around the plate during rotation of the arm and thereby restrain the speed of rotation of the arm, a trolley movable along said overhead conveyor track, a load bar suspended from said trolley, said load bar having a socket formed therein, and a ball secured at the top of the arbor to the vertical shaft, said ball engaging the socket to form a universal joint connecting the load bar and the arbor, thereby suspending the arbor pendantfashion and allowing the arbor to swivel freely while paying off the wire.

4. A traveling payoff device movable along an overhead conveyor track, which comprises an upright arbor having a body portion composed of a plurality of staves united in the form of a generally bell-shaped cage and having a base portion composed of a horizontal disc on which the cage is mounted vertically, said arbor being designed to extend axially into and thereby receive a coil of wire to be payed off, a vertical shaft extending axially through said arbor, a horizontal flyer arm extending radially outward from the bottom of the arbor and having its inner end mounted rotatably on said vertical shaft, a wire guide secured to the outer end of the arm for guiding a wire being payed off from the bottom of the coil, a horizontal plate secured to said vertical shaft and in spaced relation to the disc at the base of the arbor, a braking wheel mounted rotatably on the arm and having its periphery bearing against the plate so as to roll in a circular path around the plate during rotation of the arm and thereby restrain the speed of rotation of the arm, a plurality of trolley wheels movable along said overhead conveyor track, a pair of yokes suspended from said trolley wheels, a load bar suspended from the yokes, said load bar having a socket formed therein, and a ball secured at the top of the arbor to the vertical shaft, said ball engaging the socket to form a universal joint connecting the load bar and the arbor, thereby suspending the arbor pendant-fashion and allowing the arbor to swivel freely while paying off the wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Garey July 27, 1948 

